


Bombshells

by Nativestar



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: 4x12 Speculation, Developing Relationship, F/M, Will likely be an AU as of next Friday
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-26
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:20:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23863657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nativestar/pseuds/Nativestar
Summary: A speculative fic for 4x12.  Spoilers abound and it might make more sense if you've seen the promo.  See start of work for the summary.
Relationships: Riley Davis/Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 98





	Bombshells

**Author's Note:**

> This is speculation based off the promo and an interview Trisin Mays gave a while back where she said "They are always going to be there for each other. They’re going to help each other out even if it hurts other people." In the promo, Riley is in the war room when Matty says that Mac has gone rogue, then later she's on the back of a truck with Mac, and Tesla's weapon. This is my speculation as to how she got from the war room to helping Mac.

Riley had thought breaking into the base and finding Mac without Codex finding out would be difficult. However, after a minute hiding in the undergrowth frantically trying to figure out how she was going to do just that when she was so desperately short of time, Mac simply walked out of the side door nearest her.

Maybe there was someone looking out for her after all.

She scrambled to her feet and sprinted over to Mac. He startled, bringing his hands up and relaxing when he recognised who it was.

“Riley? What’re you doing here?”

“C’mon.” Riley grabbed his arm, looking around. “We have to get out of here.”

“What? No.” Mac twisted out of her grip. “I’m sorry, Riley, but this is where I belong.”

Riley stared at him. It scared her that she didn’t know if he believed those words or not. However, whether he believed in Codex’s mission or not he didn’t belong with _them_ , with their cold logic and science and an aunt who barely knew him. Mac belonged with his family at Phoenix, with those that loved him. But all that would have to wait, in order for Riley to make her case, Mac had to stay alive first.

“Mac, I don’t care if you’re undercover or if you really have defected to Codex, but either way we have to go. The military have this location and there’s a drone on the way with enough payload to obliterate this place.”

“What?” Whatever he’d been expecting Riley to say, it clearly hadn’t been that.

“There wasn’t anything Matty or Russ could do about it.” Riley added, refusing to let him think that anyone at the Phoenix was ready to willingly sacrifice him.

“How long?”

“I don’t know, fifteen minutes, tops. So we have to go.” Riley grabbed his arm again but Mac refused to budge. He narrowed his eyes and she could see the moment he figured it out.

“They don’t know you’re here, do they?”

“No.” She admitted. “We were ordered not to make contact. The higher ups decided they couldn’t risk tipping Codex off. They think you defected so you’re an ‘acceptable casualty’ in their eyes.” Riley was livid about that, after all the good that Mac had done? All the lives he’d saved? She’d wanted to tell them where they could stick their acceptable casualty crap except she’d seen Matty already do that and it hadn’t made a difference.

“Riley,” Mac sighed dejectedly. “I wish you hadn’t come.”

Riley shook her head, she didn’t regret her choice for a moment. “I can deal with losing my job, even my freedom, but I can’t deal with losing you, Mac. So we _have_ to go!”

“I can’t.” Mac looked at her sadly. “Codex barely trust me now and they’re expecting me back in there in a minute, if I don’t show they’ll go to ground. And they can do it quick, I’ve seen it before.” Mac ran a hand across his face and pinched his nose.

“So you _are_ undercover?”

“Yes, I’m undercover.” He confirmed with a bitter laugh, as if it should have been obvious to her. Riley sighed, relief overrode any other feelings she might have had about being lied to. She could be mad later.

Mac looked back at the door he’d come out of. “Not that it matters any more.” He turned back to her and smiled, a genuine smile that she realised she hadn’t seen for weeks. “Thank you for coming for me, I appreciate it more than I can say, but you need to leave.”

“Not without you.”

Mac shook his head. “I can’t leave, not now. I _am_ an ‘acceptable loss’. If the cost of stopping Codex is my life, then I’m okay with that.”

Riley felt like all the air had been pushed from her lungs. How dare he say that?

“Well, I’m not! Nor is Bozer, or Desi or Matty or Russ! Or Jack! Or-or anyone who’s ever met you!” She reached out for him but he took a step away. “We’ll find another way. Please Mac, I can’t lose you.”

“Yes, you can.” Mac said calmly.

“No.” Riley whispered, shaking her head with tears in her eyes.

“Riley, go.” Mac begged.

“No. I’m staying with you.”

Mac might be willing to throw his own life away but she hoped he wasn’t willing to do the same with hers. Blackmail at its noblest.

“Why are you doing this?” Mac asked, frustrated.

“Because I care about you! A lot more than I should.” She hadn’t meant to say that. Her confession was torn from her in desperation, she had to make him understand why she couldn’t leave and _they had no time._

Mac didn’t say a word. His face was unreadable. This was far from how she’d wanted to tell him, in fact she’d planned on _not_ telling him. Ever. She understood his reaction, she’d just dropped a bomb of her own on him with the worst possible timing.

“I don’t expect you to feel the same way.” She continued. “But if you’re staying then I’m staying.”

Neither of them said anything for several long seconds. They stared at each other, locked in a silent battle of wills. Riley tried to figure out what was going on in that head of his but his eyes gave nothing away.

“I can’t leave. You can’t go back.” Mac finally said. “So I guess you’ve just joined Codex. And I need to see if Tesla’s weapon can stop a missile.”

He held out his hand and Riley took it.

“We’ll figure out the rest later.” He promised.

She squeezed his hand and managed a small smile when he returned the gesture.

Riley squared her shoulders and together they walked into Codex’s base.

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea where this came from, I normally write gen. I hope it's not too much of a dramatic cliche! The bit I'm the least confident about actually happening is Riley's confession. I think they're going to string that out to the mid-season finale (maybe not even then).


End file.
